Tribes share $900M with governments

MILWAUKEE (AP) — American Indian tribes shared $900 million in casino gambling revenue with governments in 2004, a 23 percent increase over the previous year, according to a comprehensive review of Indian gaming released Wednesday.

The report said 405 tribal casinos in 30 states also contributed $6.2 billion in taxes, two-thirds of which went to the federal government. The rest was split between local and state governments, the annual Indian Gaming Industry Report found.

Federal law says states cannot tax tribes because they are sovereign governments, but tribes that want to sign deals to establish casinos are increasingly offering to share their revenue in exchange for more games and longer deals.